1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to high capacity centrifugal feeders generally and more particularly to such a feeder which is equipped with tooling enabling the feeder to sort material which is randomly delivered to the same and deliver such material at its output in a desired orientation.
2. Description of Prior Art
Centrifugal feeder drive units such as an FT-30SS unit available from the Hoppman Corporation bearing U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,145,051; 4,848,559; 4,723,661; 4,821,920; 4,848,100; and 4,305,496 are commercially readily available. Such units must be tooled and modified to perform the desired task.
The task desired to be performed is to orient a substantially flat item which is an elongated rectangular item and which, when oriented, has its elongated axis in the direction of the output and its upper and lower surface in the desired position. The items beings sorted have one of its upper or lower surfaces luminescent and the other less luminescent and, upon the tooling detecting which surface is upward, rejecting the item which is not oriented as desired. A prior art device to perform such an operation was not found.